Help with gold and seed pearl hoop earrings, please.

Hi, can anyone tell me more about these earrings?
They are Italian 10k rose gold hoops with genuine seed pearl grape bunches on gold leaves. They have a back to front hook. The gold is not marked, but has been tested as 10k.
I would like to know the period (1960's?) and origin. Any other information is welcome too. Like, if they are specific to a maker or region of Italy.

 

Hi,
Pretty earrings. I think they might be 9kt, if true 10kt they would have been marked. 9kt is considered not true gold so no markings. If they were older it is possible to be not marked but I doubt it. These are just my personal feelings. I have no back up information just a feeling.
greg

 

9 ct has to be marked in Europe unless it's below a certain weight.

 

Thanks for both your insights.
I agree, Greg, that the earrings are not likely to be very old. Although the awkward back to front hooks are usually seen on antique earrings.

I can't find anything on Italian gold grades or hallmarking, other than this:
In many other countries, including in Italy, India and China, jewellery hallmarking is voluntary. https://www.gold.org/jewellery/about-gold-jewellery/gold-hallmarks.

I live in The Netherlands where anything under 14k is not considered gold, so there is no legal mark for 9k or 10k.

 

Italy has to abide by the EU common marking standards.

 

Since when ? Like what date...

 

There is such a thing as the International Convention on Hallmarks, which was instituted in 1972. Italy is not a member.
I have never heard of an EU common hallmarking standard for precious metals. But the earrings are pre-EU anyway. They could be EEC period, but there were no EEC common hallmarking standards for precious metals.

 

They do look like quality earrings. The back-to-front way they attach should be some kind of clue as to age. I've never seen that before.

Maybe others will have ideas.

 

Google on Common control mark.

How do you know their age and origin, by the way?

Lucille, I've seen that fixing on Middle Eastern gold.

 

The common control mark is about the International Convention on Hallmarks which I mentioned above. As I also wrote, Italy is not a member, so doesn't have to comply. And it was instituted in 1972.

I bought the earrings from an elderly Italian lady who was selling her old jewelry. She didn't remember when she was given them, but as we talked we came to the conclusion that it must have been the 1960's.
I know the style is Italian, as I remember seeing this kind of jewellery on holidays in Florence and Rome. If only I had paid more attention then, but I was young and foolish.

 

For what it's worth, I would have guessed 1960's knowing nothing else. I think they are very classy. I bet they look nice on.

 

Thank you Lucille. They look very nice indeed. But I keep having trouble with that back to front system, just clumsy I guess, so I don't wear them much. I was thinking of selling them, but can't get myself to do it, because I do like them.

 

I'm not sure I could handle the back to front either, but you might get used to it over time. Or, sell to someone else! Good problem to have.

 

Yes, if only all our problems were like that.